A Customized GMC Sierra that was a College Gift

How one father's hand-me-down truck became part of a family affair

During high school, Jose Luis Camacho worked at a local pizza parlor. It was his intent to save up as much as he could before going to tech school, and prior to leaving he was on a mission to purchase a truck—in specific, a truck that he had been eyeing down the street. A few years later, his father had found out about his plan, and even though Jose had the money ready he said, “Save your money, and take my truck.”

The truck he handed down was a 1984 GMC Sierra, which was purchased new by his father back in the day. With a new truck in hand, it even came with a few extras, which included a huge camper, bug deflector, and a set of off-road wheels. Happy to just have a vehicle, Jose wound up driving it as is, and began working on it one piece at a time. Since he was a fresh graduate, money was limited so he started putting in his own work.

He began modding the truck by making the roll pan, shaving the tailgate handle, and dropping the truck. As he kept working on it, he kept learning more and more until he finally decided to install an airbag setup and then paint it on his own. Along with his brother who worked a local stereo shop, the duo fed off each other’s knowledge and good vibes and collectively created a build that would continually evolve into different looks and phases.

Right now, the truck is on its seventh makeover and he’s already thinking about an eighth. “All of the looks had the street truck look to it but in 2014 I joined Xplizit Car Club and they had a different style,” Jose says. The mix style of lowriders and modern-day trucking really caught his eye and he’s steadily planning on another revamp, which we’re sure won’t be his last.

In what could easily be called the gift that keeps on giving, this truck is sure to become a staple part of the family and it’s a build that not only has history, but love infused into its bloodlines.